Partner
by KitsunesMask
Summary: A cool laugh rang out from the speakers of the television. A laugh Gohan knew all to well. Gohan felt himself go rigid, pushing his head down further into his arms, wondering if he was dreaming the whole thing. Cell Return's fic. G/V


Dull. Low-hanging, gray clouds resonated the way the eighteen year old felt on this particular day. Dull. To the other students of Orange Star High School, his reluctance to participate today, of all days, was rather odd. It perturbed them that anyone could be so depressed on a day of such occasion. Of such importance in history. But still, as the teacher went on gushing about the world's hero and his history of going from a no one to the man he was today, they would turn and glance back at the black-haired boy whose eyes seemed fixed on the bleakness outside. Seemingly in his own world, the students whispered to each other about him, as he was quiet the oddity among them. All whispers had stopped when the teacher had attempted to gain the young man's attention for not paying attention to the lecture she was giving. Of course the boy turned his eyes away, momentarily giving her his undivided attention. His gaze, however, had unnerved not only her but the other students as well. They had gotten accustomed to the happy spark mixed with the mysterious gleam the boy's eyes had held but were unprepared for the dead look in his eyes as he stared. Having lost her words, the teacher watched as the boy turned his head, his gaze pulled away from them and directed back to the window. The silence continued for a moment before the teacher cleared her throat to begin again with her lesson, bringing back the celebratory air.

Normally, one of the boy's particularly loud friends would have questioned him in a instant. But even she had been stunned into silence along with his two other friends. Taking a few moments to compose herself, the bubbly blonde scooched her chair closer the the obviously upset boy. After a moment of hesitation, she reached her hand out and placed it on his shoulder. For a moment, she marveled at the feel of his muscles the baggy shirt had been hiding before she shook those sort of thoughts away and asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Gohan, what's wrong?"

He had remained quiet. Hadn't even moved from his position to offer the prospect of answering.

"You can tell us, Gohan." the blonde girl offered with a smile to his turned head.

No, he couldn't. Not without being called insane. He turned back to her, pulling a painfully forced smile onto his face before offering the only reply he could.

"It's nothing."

The shock his voice brought with the single utterance managed to surprise him for a moment before the smile fell and he turned back away. Erasa, having gotten the message, that her friend didn't want to open up to her and would be damn near impossible to crack, frowned. She turned her attention back to the lecture and tried not to cause her dark haired friend anymore grief. Something that would shock a lot of people. A raven haired girl sitting on just the other side of Erasa, leaned over to look at him, or rather the back of his head, which she admittedly did a lot of. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but not into her famous glare, rather in concern as her brows pulled together in confusion. She ran through everything he had said that might have possibly hinted to today's mood. For once, Videl had come up with nothing. Normally, she would be able to brush off anyone who was acting in such a way after hearing what was wrong. Usually it turned out to be something stupid, but her dark haired friend didn't seem to be the type to act this way over something as such. Something must be terribly wrong and she wanted to know what but she didn't want to push him for it. Rather, she wanted him to open up to her and tell her himself. A strange want for her in particular as she would push just about anyone, but this boy had somehow wormed himself into her heart. Quite the feet. Yet she would not let anyone else know this much less Gohan himself. On her other side, Sharpner was just trying not to let his friend's mood get to him. The day was supposed to be a celebration of the victory of his master over the evil being known as Cell. He'd be damned if one person, a nerd of all things, ruined his good spirits.

Even though he would have felt mocked if today had been sunny, the rolling clouds did nothing to help as it mirrored his current state of mind. Faintly, he heard a clap of thunder and slowly, a few drops of rain fell against the window pane, signaling the upcoming storm. Gohan managed to get it into his head that the rain that fall was the tears off those he failed. Mainly his family. His mother's tears as she had watched her husband die, practically by his own hands. The tears she let out the following months as she mourned and woke up from nightmares. His father's tears as his own son had had a hand in his demise. The tears the man may have cried when he heard of the son he wouldn't get to meet. His brother's tears. The most painful for Gohan. The tears the boy had shed when he wanted his father. This of course was what had been making Gohan so upset.

In years past on this day, Gohan would avoid anyone and everyone. He would go into the woods or fly off to train and everyone would leave him be. This year, being in school had thrown a wrench into the usual plan. He woke up and after changing, made his way down stairs to find his mother and brother waiting for him at the table with breakfast ready. Silently he had taken his seat and Chichi had released Goten onto the food. Gohan himself seemed to have lost his appetite and ate only a third of what he usually would and at such a slow pace Goten had stopped and stared for a moment. After a quick goodbye Gohan was about to make his way to school when Goten stopped him. Racing from the door way the boy and his mother had been standing in, Goten stopped in front of his older brother and for a moment stood there thinking about what he wanted to say. And then the little boy rocked Gohan's world with a single question. He had told Goten many stories of their father. Stories of his battles and his victories over the years. The boy knew his father was dead and Gohan had been wondering when he would ask about the event. He also knew that Goten knew this was what made his older brother so sad. Gohan knew the boy must have wanted to know and it amazed him he never brought it up. That is until this morning.

"Gohan how did daddy die?" he asked innocently looking up at his brother with his big, curious eyes. "When I ask mommy, she gets all chokey and sad, and I don't like to see her sad."

Gohan stood there for a moment, about to give his usual of 'I killed him', but he figured that would be a bit much for his brother to handle.

"Dad died fixing my mistake."

He had said this rather simply. His eyes fell down, looking into his brothers questioning ones. Before his brother could question him further, he moved away and took off quickly toward Satan City.

A sigh escaped his lips as he continued the stare as the rain fell harder. It seemed to him that they were finished talking about Hercule for the moment although he expected the discussion to start up again soon. When it didn't he began wondering what was going on.

_'Are they waiting for something?'_ he wondered, glancing around at the whispering students, failing to catch the excited buzz.

It was at this moment the PA system let out its soft chime, making the student's chatter disappear all together, surprising the demi-saiyan as that never happened.

"**Hello everyone on this wonderful day."** came the principle's happy voice. **"Today is the day we celebrate the continued safety of our world as Hercule Satan came out on top at the dreaded Cell Games seven years ago. On this anniversary, I am pleased to announce that Mr. Satan will be making an appearance on a talk show to tell the world the tale of the Cell Games. At this time would everyone please tune in on channel nine."**

The connection to the PA was cut and the teacher moved over to her desk, taking a seat after flipping on the T.V. and getting it to the right channel. Pictures of Hercule flipped on the screen. Paintings of the man defeating Cell, pictures of the games, and a few pictures of the mysterious fighters. The latest of course were degraded by the narrator for their use of 'tricks'.

Gohan let his head fall into his arms on the desk wanting nothing more then to be anywhere but there. Then the screaming started and Gohan knew that Hercule was now on the screen and was proven right as Hercule's booming laughter filled his ears.

"Hello to all of my fans!" he yelled. "I know what you're all thinking, 'Hercule, what really happened during the Cell games? What happened when the connection was broken?'. Well that is exactly what I'm going to tell you all today! The whole story!"

The students excited banter quickly dissipated as Hercule began his story, starting of course with the long ride there.

"Were you nervous Mr. Satan? Certainly going off into what could have been your doom must have been nerve wracking." the bubbly show host asked in a voice thick with concern.

"Of course I was." Hercule said. "I was thinking of my daughter and what would happen to her if something bad happened. Not that it would considering I am the world Camp and all."

Gohan drifted off not really listening to the interview. The games played over and over in his head. He faintly heard Hercule speaking of his first fight.

"...I was testing Cell, sending mediocre attacks his way to test what he would do. He didn't disappoint. I had been looking for a good challenge since the tournament and I found it in the games..."

"But what of your stomach ache?"

"Ah the stomach ache. I had only said that because I wanted to watch and gauge Cell's power more. Their use of tricks however didn't help as I couldn't get an accurate reading because of them."

"I see. So all that time you were just formulating a plan to take him down."

"Exactly."

Gohan mentally rolled his eyes at the man. He played very well to what the people wanted to hear and actually made himself sound stronger and smarter then what he was. His mind turned again to what actually happened.

_'Dad.'_ he though in disdain as the man's happy smile and warm, encouraging words entered his mind.

_'I'm leaving it all to him... Because I believe in my son.' _Gohan let out a bitter laugh that no one in the room but one caught over their excitement.

"Mr. Satan, what happened when Cell expanded? That has been a rather popular question."

"Ah yes." Hercule said, a smile pulling to his lips as he stroked his mustache. "Again it was another of their tricks. I stood bewildered as I watched it happen. Cell proclaimed that he would defeat the boy and take the world with him. Obviously this failed. I believe this was all just a stunt they planned to frighten everyone more. The fighter that fought right after me made Cell along with himself disappear. For a moment we thought it was all over. But then Cell returned, killing the purple haired one before the fighting began again. Although, I never saw the first fighter return so I expect Cell killed him. All the while my plan was set and I just had to sit and wait for the moment to execute it."

"Amazing. How did you feel when Cell made this threat?"

"I was appalled!" Hercule exclaimed. "How dare he threaten my world and the people I love! I wanted so badly to pop him right then but I was beat to him by the first fighter."

"Oh Mr. Satan!" the host gushed. "It's comforting to know we, the people of Earth, have a protector as caring as you."

"Well the people of Earth have nothing to fear.."

Gohan was slightly confused as he heard the mans voice stop rather suddenly. He paid it no mind however, thinking Hercule cut himself off for something such as more photos, hugs, or maybe the host kissed him. Nothing was impossible. The silence was strange however. No one spoke. So he didn't think much about the silence. He was actually rather happy about it, his ears having been to their limit of the 'savior's' voice. But then the class collectively gasped. A few even let out a scream.

A cool laugh rang out from the speakers of the television. A laugh Gohan knew all to well. Gohan felt himself go rigid, pushing his head down further into his arms, wondering if he was dreaming the whole thing.

The laughter slowed to a chuckle as a new speaker began.

"Hello people of Earth. My how you have prospered in my absence. Seven years is a long time after all. This is why I came back to you of course. You see I have some... unfinished business I really need to take care of and I know a few of you out there watching know what I mean. I want the man who killed me. For a.. rematch of sorts. Unfortunately, this is going to be a winner take all sort of fight. One straight to the death. Come alone. I don't want anyone getting in the way because this time it will not be I going to HFIL." Cell let a smile pull onto his face. "Remember Gohan,"

At this those in the room gasped and turned to Gohan, eyes wide mouths agape.

"...alone, because if you bring even one person or one person shows up, when you die I will kill every single human on this planet in the slowest, most tortuous way I can and I'll make sure to start with that brother of yours. You know where to find me. Good day."

Cell's image disappeared from the screen, being replaced with Mr. Satan and the host again.

Silence.

"He...He wasn't talking about our Gohan." Erasa said, pulling a shaky, nervous smile onto her face. Turning toward her black haired friend, she felt herself begin to tremble. She didn't want it to be him. "There has to be another Gohan somewhere in the world."

"You're right." someone else called out in agreement. "It can't be Nerd-boy. He wouldn't last two seconds... Maybe Cell got confused and thought that was Mr. Satan's name. I mean... I mean..."

Silence.

Everyone looked to Gohan expectantly. They all wanted him to put these thoughts to rest by denying that he was the Gohan Cell was talking about. But he didn't moved an inch. They took this as a sign that it wasn't him. Some let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, glad that their classmate wasn't who Cell was speaking of. But these thoughts were all crushed as the sound of a seat scraping against the floor caught their attention.

Pushing his seat back from the desk, Gohan finally lifted his head from his arms. Ignoring the class as they continued staring, Gohan pushed himself out of his seat.

"This is a dream!" Erasa suddenly exclaimed. "This is all just a bad dream!"

"Punch me." Gohan mumbled with a humorless laugh.

One of the jocks near by took him up on his offer and sent a punch sailing toward Gohan's gut. As it connected and the jock pulled his sore hand away, Gohan laughed.

"Sorry. Not a dream." he turned to Erasa and offered a smile.

No one stopped him as he made his way toward the door. It was only when he reached it people started calling out to him.

"What are you doing Nerd-boy?" a jock called, obviously unbelieving.

"Y-You can't be the right Gohan!" Sharpner said with a shake of his head.

"Mr. Son where do you think you are going?" the teacher called as he stopped under the door frame.

He stopped for a moment, thinking about what he should say. After trying and failing to come up with a smart reply, he sighed and turned to answer. He looked up to the teacher, grinned and used his normal excuse.

"Bathroom."

Videl's mind had frozen. Cell wanted Gohan. Her Gohan? Her mind began to race. Cell wanted the man who killed him then why hadn't he called for her father? Was her father's boasting over this accomplishment all a lie? She watched Gohan as he remained in his seat, wanting him to stay with her. She didn't want him to go off and face that monster. Her mind went blank as he got up from his seat and she watched him silently move toward the door. He was about to leave the room. About to leave her when she finally found her voice again.

"Wait Gohan!" she almost screamed, jumping from her seat. She opened her mouth to begin again but couldn't find the words and began sputtering, choking on words that may have been understandable. Gohan looked up at her, stopping her babbling, and smiled.

"Sorry Videl. He said alone so we can't be partners this time."

And with that he left. Videl fell back into her seat and the students were again left to silence.

"M-Mr. Satan... C-C-C-Can y-you ex-plain th-th-this?" stuttered the host, as she turned Hercule.

The man of the hour said absolutely nothing.

**Thanks For reading.**

**Punch me is the Z-fighters form of pinch me... or rather the saiyan members version. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now. :P**

**Krillin: I'm dreaming. Punch me.**

**Vegeta: *Smirks* Gladly.**


End file.
